Ann Marie's STORY ART

The Ghost of Ellen Henry

2011-11-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

The Heritage Farmstead of Plano, Texas premiered a new event called Murder and Mayhem: True Crimes of Collin County. It was a big success. Members of the North Forty Storytelling Guild brought the stories to life brilliantly. Such a talented group of people! I was in a mini play about the story of a woman (Ellen Henry) murdered by her husband. She was very boldly cheating on him with Hunter Farrell the man who built the house at the farmstead. The very house where we reenacted the story!

I think her ghost was with me that night. Do you see Ellen floating by my head? She caused no ill harm.

One of my artist heroes, Mark Bradford

2011-11-05T18:33:00.000-07:00

I’ve been working on a few projects inspired by the art of Mark Bradford whose work is currently on exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art.

To learn more about Mark Bradford visit this website: http://www.pinocchioisonfire.org/ I attended one of his talks when the exhibit opened. He came across as a thoroughly likeable, humorous and gentle soul. A TALL one too, he stands at 6'8". This might explain why he often works on such a grand scale.

I find his work super compelling. His use of incorporating found objects and non-traditional materials into every piece of art provides a wealth of texture, lines, layers and mystery. He has referred to his work as a series of "negotiations". Brilliant!

While looking at his work questions arise. “What is that? How did he do that? What does this mean? Is that what I think it is? What does he want to show, tell us with this artwork?

His work draws me in, I want to look closer at it. The closer I look, the more surprises I see hidden in the layers.

I delight in finding surprises!

I would compare it to the same sense of a delight an anthropologist feels when discovering a relic left behind by a passing culture. (By the way, I considered briefly majoring in Cultural Anthropoly while in college.) Mark’s work provides this for me in spades. Plus, his work is thought-provoking in meaningful ways that lead to discussions about current, yet ageless cultural issues we deal with daily as human beings.

His techniques, his creative processes, intrigue me a great deal. I have experimented with some of his ideas and like where it has led me. That is, after dumping the first two failed attempts into the trash! I finally found my way though. This is my first finished effort titled, “The Talkative Turtle”.

His shell is cracked because he couldn't keep his mouth shut long enough to be carried

through the air by two geese. (He was holding unto a stick with his mouth.)

Close veiw of the distressed surface. The embedded lines of yarn were laid out over a map of the DFW area. It's fun to point out the major highways and roads to young viewers.

My second piece was an exploration of another technique. I call it "Dream". I have the word stamped into it in several places. One has to be observant to see it. One little boy found it right away without my telling him it was even there.

I have actually altered "Dream" since I took this photo. I like the newer surface better. I'll see about getting a new photo of it. Still this is very much like the final one.

Up close view. The colored squares are dyed and cut coffee filters. The idea is that each square represents a thought, an idea. They are floating about, clustering together in my dream landscape. I wanted to capture how my imagination works when I'm coming up with new ideas.

There is one other Bradford inspired work in process. I'm attempting a 3D concept. I expect to finish it. WHEN is the question at this point! I'm needing to do some experimentation with materials and haven't found the best solution yet. It'll happen though, I'm sure of it.

How do I know? I've already named the artwork. It was named before I began! It wants to be born.

A GOOD omen.

Canstruction

2011-11-05T17:47:00.000-07:00

While walking through the North Park Mall in Dallas, Texas I came upon a very clever and creative concept.

Check out these photos:

What a great way to nurture one’s community.It would be wonderful if more communities could “borrow” this idea and do the same thing. You’re making art that grabs the public’s attention, draws attention to the issue of a growing population living in poverty, and provides food for the hungry.

Take time for looking at art

2011-11-05T17:32:00.000-07:00

Maybe someone has already said this, but here goes.

While noticing so many, many people merely glancing at the art on display at the museum and making quick judgments (often thoroughly uninformed) this thought fluttered through my mind…

Judging art with just a glance
Is like judging a book by its cover.
You can’t know either one until you
READ it
with your
eyes,
mind,
and heart.

This takes time.

Naked Truth Dressed as Story

2011-09-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

An old Yiddish tale.

Once there was Truth who went around naked as the day he was born. No one wanted anything to do with him. When people would see naked Truth, they would turn around and run away from him. If for any reason, people had to be in the same room with Truth, they would not even acknowledge his presence. He was never welcomed by anyone. Ever.

Poor Truth. He was very lonely and sad.

One day, Truth was out walking and came upon Story. Story was clothed in a splendid robe and headdress of many lovely colors. Story was beautiful to behold.

Seeing Truth, Story asked, "Why do you always look so sad?"

"Things are bad for me," said Truth bitterly. "I am old, so very old and no wants to have anything to do with me. They refuse to even look my way."

"I am very old too," said Story. "In fact, the older I get the better people like me. People do not run from you because you are old Truth. They run from you because you are naked. Here is a secret, everyone likes things prettied up a bit. I will lend you some of my colorful clothes. When you put them on, you will find that the people who pushed you away will welcome you into their homes. In fact, they shall willingly seek your company."

Truth listened thoughtfully to Story's words and decided to follow his advice. Ever since, from that time to this, Truth has covered his nakedness in Story's many colored robes. Truth and Story have become the best of friends, walking hand in hand. Everyone loves the happy pair who are welcomed everywhere they go.

Naked Truth Dressed as Story
by Ann Marie Newman
2011

Back Dreamin' & Creatin'

2011-09-04T17:43:00.000-07:00

I've had a resurgance of creative output lately. I've finished a few hobo scarves, hair clips, Whimsy Trees and this!

I made it using cardboard, plaster casting, an old black wool sweater, old hardware, hot glue and computer parts. It will go with two UFO-type stories I'll tell later this month. I wanted it to look like a space station. I have a flasing light that goes into the black hole. It's about 20x24 inches and rises ten inches out from the wall.

It is inspired by Lee Bontecou's work that hangs in the C3 at the DMA. Here are two examples of her work.

My work is a more literal interpretation of hers of course, and made a LOT more cheaply. But, it serves the purpose that I need if for. That is what counts.

Close-ups of my work.

Wait until you see my next project. It's totally different!

Thursday nights at the Dallas Museum of Art

2011-09-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

I love, love, LOVE going to Thursday night artist encounter workshops at the DMA. I meet excellent artists who work in a variety of mediums and learn new creative skills. As an added bonus, I have made some wonderful friendships with the "regulars"; people in the DFW community who love to attend these as much as I do. Here are some photos from this summer.

Martha is creating a very clever & interesting sculpture made from stuffed animal parts.

Interesting "franken creatures" made from assorted stuffed animals. Which one is mine? Guess.

Drawings from the week before to prepare for our franken creatures. This was an exquisite courpse drawing activity. Different people composed 1/3 of the picture, then at the end we saw the whole picture. I hate to draw, but this was fun.

My franken creature looks rather sweet & cute, but BEWARE!!! It likes to eat little creatures.

The group posing with our work. We did this in like 1 1/2 hours. Not bad.

I'm Back!

2011-09-04T16:48:00.000-07:00

It has been an eventful & often tragic spring and summer. My lovely mother-in-law took a turn for the worse in her battle with breast cancer. Much of my time was spent with her during her final months for she was a great and true friend to me and I wanted to be there for her. Her passing was more painful than I could have imagined. I miss so VERY MUCH every single day.

Now that September is here, the temperature is finally under 100 degrees in Plano, TX, and life has settled into new routines. I finally feel like getting back into the swing of things. So, I hope to blog more regularly again.

At least, that is the plan.

Mary Gayle Newman - June 15, 1941 - July 15, 2011

2011-08-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

I’d like to tell you a true story.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was a woman, a daughter, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend by the name of Mary Gayle Newman. She was small in stature, but large in presence and beloved by all who knew her. This was because she knew how to capture the light, and share it with others. Mary Gayle was a natural born painter. With gentle, confident ease, she would capture the colorful spectrum of light and transform a stark, white, plain surface. She’d dab a little color here, and there and there, and bring out an image of birds sitting on a fence, fruit overflowing the rim of a bowl, the sky kissing the horizon of the sea. With such a talent, some might even say a, “gift from God”, they may have wondered why she painted so rarely.

Perhaps it was because her gift of capturing the light extended far beyond the limits of the paintbrush. With gentle, confident ease, Mary Gayle would capture the light, filling average, plain days with brightness; thereby creating precious moments for all. She brought people together to share in the bounties of life through the enjoyment of good food, meaningful friendships, stimulating conversations and most especially laughter. In this way, Mary Gayle “painted cherished memories” in the hearts of all who knew her. Through her actions as a hostess in her home, or a volunteer in the broad realm of her community, Mary Gayle illuminated the blessings and comfort given and received through the loving relationships we have with others during our lifetimes. An only child with few living relatives, she created not only for herself, but also for others, a family of aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews of the heart.

Her valiant struggle with cancer was truly courageous. She was never one to complain, ever. When asked how she was doing her standard answer was “I’m fine” or, “about the same.” Often in the later months, this was not so true, but she did not want to worry others. Her desire for self reliance and independence was challenged as the cancer worsened in the later months. The growing pain and loss of energy brought sadness to her wise eyes, yet still, she was there with a ready hug, a bit of wisdom and a kind smile.

Someone once said, “God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for tears, and light for the way.” If that is true, and I believe it is, then Mary Gayle was gifted at carrying some of that light to those who were fortunate to know her.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was woman, a daughter, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend by the name of Mary Gayle Newman. She knew how to capture the light and share it with others. She brought the presence of love, was loved deeply in return and will be missed dearly.

Dallas Museum of Art Video

2011-07-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

Here is a video I participated in as narrator. Plus, you can see me doing "my thing" on stage.

Poem about a Lichitz Sculpture

2011-02-09T11:33:00.000-08:00

Bather by Jacques Lipchitz

I don't care for this sculpture soon to end it's stay in the Center for Creative Connections at the Dallas Museum of Art. I immediately disliked it the moment I saw it. Why? I wasn't exactly sure right away, though I noted that I found the hollowed out stomach disturbing.

Later, I asked myself, "If this were a character in a story, who would it be?"

An answer came like a bolt of lightening. It inspired the following poem.

Legacy of the Stepmother of Hansel and Gretel

She stands rock solid in her vulgarity.

Her features grotesquely deformed

by her wanton quest for

more, more, MORE.

Her concave stomach

gaping like an open wound

warns us of unquenchable gluttony.

The result of gut wrenching fear

of having less than

enough.

Sigur Rós

2011-01-12T14:44:00.000-08:00

Recently I discovered the Icelandic band, Sigur Ros. Here is what the insignificant & rarely used encyclopedia site known as Wikipedia had to say about them:

Sigur Rós (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈsɪːɣʏr ˈroːus]) is an Icelandic post-rock band with melodic, classical, and minimalist elements. The band is known for its ethereal sound, and frontman Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto vocals and use of bowed guitar. In January 2010, the band announced that they will be on hiatus until further notice in order to pursue solo careers and to spend time with their families.[1]

Oooo-kaaay..., but what does their music sound like you ask?

You can listen for yourself. The music video below this post is a nice sample of their work. The music is LOVELY, plus the video was filmed out in the harshly beautiful, otherworldly, Icelandic landscape. The Icelandic children in the video look like a lot like my relatives of Norwegian & Swedish descent in living in Minnesota. I feel my inner child who loved wearing costumes, and who pretended she could fly when the wind blew strong identify with them. Someone added biblical scripture that adds an intriguing touch to the video. The storyteller/artist part of me always likes to see text from all kinds of sources used creatively and artistically. Hopefully, all peoples of all backgrounds can appreciate the beauty and hope that live in the words, and how they are applied to the children in the film.

Hhhmmmnm....idea! I wonder if I could do something similar. I could make a series of still photos, or a short video that incorporates text from a classic folktale, thereby giving new dimension, depth, perhaps meaning, to a commonly known story.

I will dream on it and see what comes...

Sigur Ros - Glosoli (with Scripture)

2011-01-11T18:53:00.000-08:00

Where are you from?

2011-01-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

When asked this question it always gives me pause. My childhood had a nomadic edge to it.

Today, I was visiting another blog and noticed how the author answered this question. I borrowed the idea and here is my response.

Where are you from?

I was born in Clearwater County, MN

Grew up small in many apartments throughout Minneapolis, MN

Grew into adolescence in Charlestown, SC and Quantico, VA

Entered my teens and grew into them theatrically in Lake Elsinore, CA

Late teens & early twenty something's were spent confused in Montgomery, AL

The rest of twenty's spent more happily in St Paul, MN

Grew through my 30's discovering my gifts in Panama City, FL

Currently growing and blooming through my 40's rooted in Plano, TX

Artist Encounter with Brian Fridge

2011-01-08T13:24:00.000-08:00

Every Thursday night, The Dallas Museum of Art offers Artist Encounter events in the Center for Creative Connections. I try to attend as many as I can. I always learn something valuable, plus I've developed some wonderful friendships with many of the "regulars". Last Thursday, we met creativity expert Magdalena Grohman and video artist Brian Fridge. With Magdalena (who has a delightful Spanish accent) we did creative thinking activities designed to get us ready for Brian Fridge's portion of the evening.

When Brian's time came, we went to the theater to view a few of his videos. None are online, so I can't link you over to see any, but I can supply a still image from the video that most inspired me.

The video is very much like watching a galaxy of stars & mist swirling through the universe. Shapes appear, then merge into new shapes.

As we watched the video we were instructed to start writing anything that came to mind. In just a few minutes I wrote the following poem. I have resisted the urge to change even one word.

I close my eyes to see

my dreams...

They move like stardust

across an ebony sky.

Ah look!

The swirling stardust becomes

a woman dancing languidly.

With her every movement

She is transformed,

renewed,

reborn,

eternally alive.

Is it her soul that I am seeing?

Is She me?

Am I her?

I close my eyes to see...

Myself.

Merging Visual Art with Performance Art

2011-01-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

How sweet it is to have the many opportunities, the creative freedom, to develop unique storytelling programs for the Dallas Museum of Art. The museum continually supplies me with a world of ideas for merging visual art with performance art. I thoroughly enjoy creating two and three dimensional artworks to accompany my tales. Not only that, some exhibited art has inspired me to put on a pair of tap shoes and dance my way through a tale, use lights to create cool shadows, learn African & Indonesian drumming rhythms,etc...all are so creatively satisfying and fun for me! I am super fortunate to have the kind assistance and support of their knowledgeable staff who are always ready to help me. Some of my programs have required lots of extra effort from the tech booth staff, and JC Bigornia who puts together my powerpoints of featured artwork. In the last several years, my storytelling style has become more improvisational and far more interactive as a result, which feels good and natural for me.

Recently I finished work on these two story visuals inspired by art at the museum.

This is my Three Little Pigs collage. It took three months to complete. Embedded in it are old magazine & book images from the 20's, 30's and 40's, maps, and book pages. I made the wolf, trees and pigs by cutting them out of paper and doing color washes on top. There's even a chicken photo I took 6 years ago in it. The clouds are painted lace. I added dimension with oil pastels and attachable 3D houses. You may be wondering why the "brick house" is metal. It was steel re-enforced to be earthquake proof. THAT is why it was so strong. In a fit of temper, the poor wolf broke all his teeth trying to bite through the house. He had to purchase false teeth. Do you see the ad for them?

Believe it or not, this was the inspiration for the Three Little Pigs collage. It's called High-Speed Gardening. The artist is Micheal Bevilacqua, who began his career painting race cars.

Felty Trees. Lily and Jeff show how two volunteers hold up the ends for me. I hide behind it and put my glove-covered hands through two slits. The story is told using my voice and hands.

This was my inspiration. It was created by Trenton Doyle Hancock. He tells the story of the Mounds, half plant, half animal creatures, through a series of large felt panels. He is one of the artist's featured in the PBS Art: 21 shows.

This photo was taken last Tuesday at the Dallas Museum of Art. I am set up and ready for my audience. We had a great time together, but since I was performing I couldn't take any photos. Maybe next time when Jeff goes with me.

Diary of a Tortured Artist: Decisions

2011-01-08T09:49:00.000-08:00

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.

What idea is worthy of following through on to the creation phase?

What ideas will have to be put on hold?

What ideas are a complete waste of time and effort?

What do I need to give up in order to do this project? Will it be worth it?

Who will I tick off because I am immersed in my work and ignoring them?

What will be the rewards when the project is completed?

These are just some of the questions that I deal with on a daily basis as I pursue my passions in the world of art. I so love the act of creating. It is an adrenaline rush for me. I feel so alive when my mind, my body, my soul, and my muses are in harmony with each other. I have no problem coming up with projects for myself. In fact, I have the opposite problem. I come up with too many. This leads to overload.

Thus, the tortured artist enters the room.

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.

Diary of a Tortured Artist: Painful Decisions

2010-12-15T18:55:00.000-08:00

Ow,ow,ow,ow,OW!!!!

OMG, but the decision I had to make this week...SUCKED!!!!!!!!!!!

I had to release a regular, creative opportunity that really gave me a sense of accomplishment in the past when I did it. Sure hope it was worth it.

I am feeling the torture. I pray the decision does not haunt me and make me angry over the circumstances that triggered it.

Tortured Toon

2010-12-11T18:39:00.000-08:00

Arrrrgghhhhhhhh......................................
I'm feeling too tortured to write today. So, here is a toon off of the web.

Diary of a Tortured Artist: An Introduction

2010-12-09T21:53:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow artists out there. Feeling tortured lately? Are you creatively frustrated? Are the people you have relationships with "not getting you?" Do you constantly struggle with inner turmoil and conflict while directing your creative energies into successful works of art?

Rejoice! You're not alone.

According to Wikipedia these past creators have experienced your angst:

Kurt Cobain, Marilyn Monroe, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Vincent Van Gogh, Ernest Hemingway,
Franz Kafka, Frida Kahlo, John Lennon, Sylvia Plath, Edgar Allan Poe, Hunter S. Thompson, and Virginia Woolf.

Such a bloody shame they met such tragic ends isn't it? Darn. Can't you just scream?

So where's the hope? The salvation from suffering the burdens of being a creative, visionary soul?

Hell if I know.

My only recourse at this point in time is to embark on a series of introspective writings (or should I say rantings) where I grapple with the dark side of being an artist. In this way I will attempt to cleanse myself of the gut wrenching places my thoughts can sometimes lead me as I strive to find a sense of creative fulfillment.

A few projects I've made with recycled wool sweaters.

2010-12-09T18:15:00.000-08:00

This is a Wovely Wooly Whatsit. He got a tooth added after this photo was taken and is now in his new home with JC Bigornia.

This is a friendly house elf. He will soon go to his new home.

These flowers are removeable from their stems. They convert to hairclips, or pins that can be attached to clothing. All but two are in their new homes. The hairbands are gone and I didn't take pictures, but I plan to make many more.

Goodness Gracious, Slide loving dogs!

2010-12-09T18:06:00.000-08:00

Bilbo and Waldo love to go down the slide at the park. Here they are is some short videos.

I used the video feature on my camera.

We sure have fun with them as you can see. They keep us young!

Loco for Cocorosie!!!

2010-12-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

These are my sisters in spirit. I don't know any other way of expressing how much I admire these two musicians who are sisters. They create music so incredibly original. Their penchant for costuming themselves in completely unique ways is also very much a part of my own creative process, BUT it is one that I work at suppressing. That said, I do very much weaken my guard and give in to wearing some odd outfits for everyday & for storytelling programs.

Take a look at this interview if you are curious about Cocorosie. http://www.vogue.it/en/people-are-talking-about/music-theatre-cinema/2010/12/cocorosie

I listen to their music when I am creating art. If I start listening to it while doing something else, I have to stop and go create something. Their work is responsible for my own inclusion of original sounds & music in some of the stories I perform.

Check their videos out on Youtube. Their songs can be really out there, strange, even disturbing...but, I still really love their originality and unique artistic voice.

North Park Mall in Dallas

2010-11-24T21:01:00.000-08:00

I love North Park Mall in Dallas! The art throughout the mall is fantastic!! The whole place is eye candy for art lovers. Even the shops are amazing; Michael Kors, Lily Pulitzer, Kate Spade, Betsy Johnson and Barney's New York are there, to name just a few. My favorite store is Anthropologie!!!

I am creatively inspired just walking through the mall.

Yes, the ten images above are authentic Andy Warhol's!!! Man, I have been fascinated with his life and work since I was a teen. I've read many books about him throughout the years.

This is my favorite store display window there this season. It's for a men's clothing store too! People literally stop in their tracks when they see it. More often then not, they whip out their cell phones to snap a picture of the blushing santa. I sat in front of the window and watched the shoppers reacting to it for about 10 minutes. I was highly amused.

Oh my, time does fly!

2010-11-24T20:35:00.000-08:00

I'm not doing so well at blogging more regularly. I wonder...should I schedule a regular day & time for blogging into my calendar? Maybe that would help.

Since my last blog, I have been telling stories and creating new stuff as per the norm. Read a Stephen King book too. Now that is RARE. Reading for fun is not something I do much of anymore. Most of my reading time is spent researching artists and stories for future storytelling programs at the Dallas Museum of Art.

Here are some pictures of a recent sculpture I made for an Autism Awareness event at the museum.

Alberto Giacometti's sculptural work served as inspiration for this piece. The butterfly wings are made of woven puzzle pieces.
The symbol for autsim is a puzzle piece, so the wings are symbolic. They represent the transformative power of discovering the unique gifts that autism brings to individuals on the spectrum.
I linked this art piece with a story for a program at the DMA last Saturday.

Been Busy Creatin' Stuff

2010-10-03T18:36:00.000-07:00

Things are still crazy busy with me - especially in the creative sense. I have been very productive making new stuff! Just about everything has been connected with my work as a storyteller at the Dallas Museum of Art. It is such an inspirational place.
Here is an oil pastel that goes with a story from Chiapas, Mexico. I began it in front of a live audience while telling a story and finished it later at home.

A second one has been begun along the same lines as this one.

I am trying my hand at weaving and Jeff made me a loom. No photo yet though - not done.

This one is hard to explain. It was created as part of an interactive storytelling program at the museum. The inspiration was Jackson Pollock's, Woman and a Dream. See Below. I recreated the most relevant lines of the woman with black ribbon on window screening. Then encapsulated 3D lines within the screen. It made a very uncomfortable pillow. There is a feather embedded in it for a story I told. The name of my piece is Feather and a Dream.

Here are dolls and a bird marionette I made from recycled wool sweaters. Jill Foley's work in the installation The Living Room inspired me. The bird and doll with the red cap are characters in a story I tell. The skinny blue fella at the end is Jack Sprat who could eat no fat. His wife is not yet complete - she could eat no lean, so she's good & plump!

My Dad's birthday was last week. I made his gift using a 1975 photo we took together with Grandpa Peterson. The photo was greatly enlarged & transferred unto a 12" X 12" board. I added copper coated old wallpaper that I cut & shaped into a tree.

Here is a close-up of us, if you want to see what we looked like back then. I was 11 years old, Dad was 29 years old, and grandpa was 72 years old.

So that's a little catching up for now. There's other artwork that I don't have photos of to share. I have one sculptural piece that I left at the museum for this coming Tuesday's show, then I'll take it home. It's double as a story prop.

I'm off to finish up some projects and create new ones. Ta-ta!

Summer Camp Classes

2010-08-31T09:03:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I got so far behing in posting was due to my teaching four, week-long summer camps at the Dallas Museum of Art. I did this in addition to my usual storytelling programs for them.

My creative working process is total immersion into whatever it is I'm doing. I become super focused and the ideas just flow forth. There is a sacrifice involved. The house doesn't get cared for, I go for long periods of not eating or drinking water like I should, I don't keep in touch with people who are outside the scope of the project, and exhuastion becomes my constant companion. But by golly! I can do some of my best work during times like this. So, as you can imagine, a sizable recovery period is necessary.

I was not going to share photos from my camp classes because you can see me age visibly before your very eyes, BUT I had such great kids and the last camp in particular was really neat. For "World-Wise Art!" I was able to fully merge visual art, storytelling and performance into a complete package for the kids and they were awesome in the final show!!!

Here are the Flickr links where the Dallas Museum of Art posted photos from all their summer camps. You can see all kinds of photos taken of past Dallas Museum of Art workshops, classes and events. It is a fun, fun, fun place!
My camps were in this order:
1. A Picture is Worh a 1,000 Wordshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/centerforcreativeconnections/sets/72157624588965854/

2. ArtCycle!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/centerforcreativeconnections/sets/72157624464290439/
3. Sculpture Mania
http://www.flickr.com/photos/centerforcreativeconnections/sets/72157624595786706/

4. World-Wise Art! Http://www.flickr.com/photos/centerforcreativeconnections/sets/72157624595972494/

Where do I start after getting so far behind?

2010-08-31T08:17:00.000-07:00

Let's see...

How about the trip I took to Reno, Nevada? Jeff went to the national bowling tournament. We asked my sister Ruth who lives in Boise, Idaho to meet us there. She did and boy did we have fun together. While Jeff bowled and visited the casino's with his friends, Ruth & I went exploring together around Lake Tahoe & downtown Reno. Jeff spent a day with us and we went to Carson City and to a rendezvous festival in the park. Here are some photos. Ruth's dunce cap photo is sideways, and by golly, I can'tfigure hout how to correct it without losing this whole post.

So, it's just going to have to stay sideways.

OMG!

2010-08-30T20:03:00.000-07:00

So I know I haven't been blogging lately, but I had no idea how much time had passed! I have lots of stuff to write about.

Stay turned.

Outside the Bath House Cultural Center

2010-05-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

After viewing the artwork (see post below), we admired the sunset over White Rock Lake. The sunset photo is a bit blurry, but without my glasses on, that is what it looks like. Kind of soft & peaceful to me.

"Todo Sobre mi Madre/All About my Mother"

2010-05-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

Photos from Maria Teresa G Pedroche's artwork opening called "Todo Sobre mi Madre/All About my Mother" It is a perfect theme for an artshow during Mother's Day. The exhibit ends June 5. It's at the BATH HOUSE CULTURAL CENTER, 521 E. Lawther Dr., Dallas, TX. Maria Teresa works at the DMA in the C3 area. She and I are in the first photo. She is a very lovely lady, inside and out!

My favorite work of hers were the flower scented, glycerin shapes that had images and other items embedded in them. Leah Hanson, who works at the DMA admired the pleasing scent.

The last photo is one of Gayle and I. We had a really good time looking all the art.

Esty Dallas' Spring Bash

2010-04-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about selling my scarves, headbands and other handmade items on Esty.com. However, I keep procrastinating on figuring out how to do it. Then Leah, who works at the DMA sent me an email about an event tomorrow. Think I'll go.

Check it out: http://handmadebash.com/Home.html

Etsy Dallas, the original Dallas team and the first city team in Texas, is a cooperative craft collective of artists and designers living and working in Dallas who sell their wares on Etsy, the web's premiere marketplace for all things hip and handmade. Etsy Dallas boasts talent from a range of mediums and crafts, and is independently run by its members.

Creative Process: Inside/Out

2010-04-30T14:33:00.000-07:00

Last night at the DMA, CEO/Creator of Preservation LINK & photographer Dave Herman and I were asked to talk about our creative process with a group of museum patrons who often come to the Thursday night workshops. They are all creative people themselves and so the discussion was a lively one with input not only from Dave and I, but from everyone there. It was so enjoyable, enlightening and well...it was bonding experience for people who pursue creative avenues of self expression. Dave and I will collaborate on a workshop together on Thursday, May 20 from 6:30-8:30. We are still in the planning stages, but let me say now, IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY FUN, CREATIVE and MEMORABLE for the people who attend. So if you're in the area, you just might want to be there.

We also got a mini presentation on the plans for the new C3 exhibition opening in September. It'll be called Space In Art/ Art In Space. It's going to be AMAZING and really interactive. During the two months that the C3 area will be under renovation, the C3 activities will be moved to the DMA tower. An artist by the name of Jill Foley is going to create the most amazing design for that space. I will definitely post pictures of her work when C3 locates there.

Interesting times ahead indeed...

New stuff I made...

2010-04-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of new work. One is a hanging light using chicken wire, body scrub thingies, wire and broken glass for color. Think of a cloud with raindrops in it. I was wanting to have a light that was cloud-like and this works for me.

The other is a flower made from a record album, coffee filters dipped in food coloring, a plumbing pipe, wire & glass beads.

ArtLoveMagic in Deep Ellum

2010-04-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

I've discovered a super cool group of artists in Deep Ellum; a community spittin' distance from downtown Dallas. The group is called ArtLoveMagic. Check them out here:
http://artlovemagic.com/homebase/homebase.htm

I attended workshops they organized & hosted last Saturday. One was called about Art Law (copyrights, trademarking...etc),and the other was led by art agents who gave tips on how to make a living as an artist. I learned a lot, was inspired and met some really nice, interesting artists while I was at it. I plan to keep their events on my calendar and go to as many as I can.

The photos were taken from the DART station in Deep Ellum where I was waiting for the train to go home.

Waiting on the DART...

2010-04-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

When I don't have to tote a lot of stuff to the DMA for one of my programs, I like to ride the DART train from Plano to downtown Dallas. It is generally relaxing, plus a LOT less stressful than driving the congested roads into downtown.

Here are Jeff and I waiting for the DART after spending an enjoyable evening at the museum. The weather is pleasant, the city views impressive and I have my very bestest friend in the world to hang out with.

Not bad.

Friday Night at the DMA

2010-04-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

The following are photos are from DMA's Friday Night Live event this April. Artist Lesli Robertson, who I have spotlighted in a previous blog had one of the completed woven works at a table along with assorted needles and threads. Museum patrons were invited to embroider into the artwork and "leave their mark". After finishing my storytelling program and touring the new "Coastlines" exhibit, I could not resist sitting down at the table and quickly embroidering a simple tree shape. It was loads of fun!

Can you see the bird?

Alice in Wonderland Hat

2010-04-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

JC Bigornia works at the Dallas Museum of Art in the Center for Creative Connections. He is also a very talented artist who can do just about anything he puts his mind to.

Here he is in a hat he created by looking at a picture! The awesome hat was a real attention grabber during the Alice Wonderland themed Friday Late Night at the Dallas Museum of Art. He was gracious enough to let me borrow it for my storytelling concert and one very lucky dad wore it during a song & dance number.

Spring Vacation Art Projects

2010-04-13T19:15:00.000-07:00

As part of my March artist of the month opportunities at the Dallas Museum of Art, I was given the chance to try a few experimental art projects. So, during spring break, I took two days to lead storyart walks in the galleries followed by collaborative art projects suitable for all ages. I decided to design two projects around the recycling theme that could be hung at the Plano Centre during the Live Green Expo, Plano's huge Earth Day event Saturday, April 17th.

Here are photos taken of the completed art works and a few during the creation of the Go Green Graffiti Door. We had a blast and the art looks great. Fun! Fun!

Go Green For Our Kids: The tree with the balls of paper is on a recycled old canvas, covered in old copper wall paper, a ceiling tile that was @#%& to cut, scrabble tiles, masking tape for the kids to write their names on, gel medium & acrylic paint and scrap paper from the museum.

Go Green Graffiti Door: An old closet door from Habitat for Humanity, house paints & colored pencils.

Storyteller Retreat to Ruidoso, NM

2010-04-13T19:06:00.000-07:00

Here a few pictures from my trip to Ruidsoso with Jiaan Powers, Gwen Caldwell and Genie Hammel who are also professional storytellers. We went at the end of March.

We had a lovely place to stay, a scenic view, gorgeous scenery to hike in, wildlife...sigh...it was all wonderful.

Another big Texas snowstorm - in MARCH!

2010-04-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

What a snowy winter we've had. This one was on the first day of spring. Photos are of my frontyard and backyard. I took them on the morning I left for Ruidoso, New Mexico. What an exciting first hour of driving I had!

Get Your Head In The Clouds

2010-04-13T16:47:00.000-07:00

Here are images of my Get Your Head In The Clouds art piece that I created as one of my projects for being artist of the month in March for the Dallas Museum of Art. It was made using those body scrub things, several strings of lights and foam coreboard. The pictures show it only partially completed and with the photos added. Participants created imaginative hats and had their photos taken. Headshots only. Then they learned how to tranfer their images over onto clear packing tape and these pictures of them were then pinned in the cloud.

So everyone got their "head in the cloud". I wanted to impress upon participants the creative benefits of taking time to play (hat making) and dream (Head in the clouds). It really worked - we all had a blast and a good crowd of participants of all ages made crazy hats using flower arrangement materials, which symbolized growing creatively - get it? wink wink

Daughter Lily with her boyfriend Andrew

2010-04-13T16:43:00.000-07:00

Here is Lily with Andrew on Valentines Day. She is wearing one of the headbands I made using recycled wool from old sweaters.

I LOVE working with recycled wool. There are several new directions I want to go with it in the near future. Stay posted!

New Scrabble game inspired art...

2010-04-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

Here is a new art work I made with recycled items.

I used an old scrabble game and images from a 1940's childrens picture encyclopedia. So when someone wants to literally "spin a tale", they can spin the board, and if it lands on the "legend" side, they can try to link an image to a legend they know.

Meet Lesli Robertson

2010-04-13T16:24:00.001-07:00

She is an awesome artist who dreamed up, created, and installed one of the best interactive art activities I've ever seen. Children and adults get to create together marvelous woven walls that once completed, reflect words projected from the ceiling.

Totally cool!

Here is a brief bio about Lesli and a link to her website.
Lesli Robertson

Lesli Robertson is a textile artist by training, but in her creative process often combines materials that are a sharp contrast to the usual fibers. An example would be the use of concrete, silk and journaling. Lesli also researches and connects communities of people around the use of a particular material such as her recent work with artists from Uganda. http://www.leslirobertson.com/

Meet Lesli

2010-04-13T16:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm a Bad, BAD Blogger!

2010-04-13T16:21:00.000-07:00

It is easy to get behind blogging. Really easy. Especially after I started using Facebook.

Uffdah.

I'm going to try an improve.

2010 Storytelling Schedule

2010-01-23T17:54:00.000-08:00

2010 is going to be busy year, full of major developments and transitions in my work as a storyteller/performance artist and visual artist. I have added a link to my schedule on the right side of this blog. I will strive to keep it as current as possible.

Performance Art?

2010-01-03T19:41:00.000-08:00

What is performance art? How is it different from theater, opera, storytelling or any number of other art forms?

Performance Art is first and foremost, an evolving art form. Here is a current description:

What are the characteristics of Performance Art?

• Performance Art is live. (I am a live performer.)

Performance Art has no rules or guidelines. It is art because the artist says it is art. It is experimental. ( I am always experimenting & pushing the boundaries of traditional storytelling. In the last few years I have begun calling myself an improvisational storyteller, relying on basic story outlines and spontaneity to tell traditional tales, as well as other artforms like dance, visual aides, music and the drawing of actual pictures as I tell.)

• Performance Art is not for sale. It may, however, sell admission tickets and film rights. (This is storytelling, unless it is videotaped of course.)

• Performance Art may be comprised of painting or sculpture (or both), dialogue, poetry, music, dance, opera, film footage, turned on television sets, laser lights, live animals and fire. Or all of the above. There are as many variables as there are artists.

• Performance Art is a legitimate artistic movement. It has longevity (some performance artists, in fact, have rather large bodies of work) and is a degreed course of study in many post-secondary institutions.

• Dada, Futurism, the Bauhaus and the Black Mountain College all inspired and helped pave the way for Performance Art.

• Performance Art is closely related to Conceptual Art. Both Fluxus and Body Art are types of Performance Art. (I definitely define my visual artworks as conceptual - they rely on the active engagement & imagination of the viewer, much like my storytelling performances.)

• Performance Art may be entertaining, amusing, shocking or horrifying. No matter which adjective applies, it is meant to be memorable. (Well, I do strive to make my work memorable! In a positive way of course.)

Through research on the web and at the library, I discovered many top performance artists. I also discovered that I have A LOT in common with them and have been moving into their artistic territory for some time without realizing it. Here is a link to my current favorite who is serving as a huge inspiration for me, Laurie Anderson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzYu88jIDYs

Using my new Casio keyboard and sound system, I've been experimenting with the idea of altering my voice and adding electronic sounds for future programs at the Dallas Museum of Art.

(This is something I'd already toyed with last November when I told a story using Jazz tunes recorded in the 1920's for background music & as the rhythm for two character voices. It was hugely fun and the audience seemed to really enjoy it too.)

Over a year ago I had the pleasure of meeting Janine Antoni - someone whose work I deeply admire and respond to. Janine's a performance artist - a very successful one. This meeting, listening to her talk about her current projects, our following emails, really had a profound effect on me. Here was a like-minded soul, someone who was expressing herself artistically using multiple artforms, as well as, her own physical body. It was like the parting of the Red Sea for me. At last, I could see a path that I could follow clearly ahead of me. All the past experimenting with painting, sculpture, sewing, music, weaving, acting, storytelling, music, dance...could be merged and integrated into something called "Performance Art". WOW! HOW AWESOME!

My rebellious inner artist rejoices at the liberation that the title "Performance Artist" provides. Performance artists can & do use folktlore and personal stories in their work, but they are freer to leave the confines of "traditional" storytelling to explore, expand and express their creative visions.

Yes indeed, that is very alluring to me. The question is, "Am I brave enough to be a pioneer, a risk taker, stretching the boundaries of traditional storytelling?"

Perhaps.

Happy New Year!!!

2010-01-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

2010 is finally here! So where is all the cool sci-fi stuff I was expecting to see in our everyday lives? Where are our hovercrafts? The robotic maids like Rosie from "The Jetson's"? Space travel to far off planets? Sheesh...what happened?

Actually this 45 year old is really impressed with cell phones, DVD players, the Prius and other hybrid cars, digital cameras, Facebook, internet googling, and BLOGGING!

Not bad, not bad...so welcome 2010! I for one am glad to see you arrive!

Dec. 2009 Newman News

2009-12-25T09:35:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our friends and family! We hope past year was good for everyone. Our family has definitely had a blessed & busy 2009. Left picture: Lily and her Aunt Ruth, summer 2009.

Jeff’s mother moved to Texas in Nov. 2008 to live with us while she dealt with breast cancer. She responded well to daily chemo pills that shrunk her tumors and continues to keep their growth under control. Hooray! She sold her home in Panama City, FL and rented an apartment near us in June. A month later she adopted Miss Scarlett, a delightful, bouncy Shih-tzu puppy. She’s a real cutie-pie with a spunky and active disposition that makes us laugh all the time.

Jeff was offered a job last summer with a company called NEI and he jumped at the opportunity. He had worked with them when he was with Aculab and developed friendships with many of the people. The company is five minutes from our home (NO COMMUTING!), he often comes home to eat lunch with me, they have awesome employee benefits (incredible in these days), and he LOVES his work!

Our daughter Lily is 19 and attends college full time. After receiving a scholarship for the academic year, she quit her coffee shop job to take more classes in hope of graduating by spring of 2011 with an Associate’s Degree in Game Arts and Animation. Lily is adding several extra art classes and it’s been exciting to watch her develop her creative gifts by learning new skills. She created the little bunny silk screen image to the left. Lily has a new boyfriend, a delightful young man by the name of Andrew Lindwall. He attends UTD where he is working on a degree in Criminal Justice. He and Lily share lots of common interests and get along really well.

My sister Ruth lived in San Antonio, TX for much of the year, the closest she has lived near me since she was 9 years old! We were able to enjoy long visits, go sight-seeing, and just hang out. It was awesome! I adore my little sister and felt so fortunate to have the opportunity to bond and create memories with her of our time together in Texas. Now she is in Boise, Idaho where our brother Eric lives. She is considering buying a home in the Boise area. Eric plans to attend the University of Idaho in January where he will work towards his Master’s in Biology. Our Mom is doing well in Riverton, Wyoming. Mom & I are good friends who enjoy daily talks on the phone with each other. I do plan to get up to see her in the coming year.

Me? Well I’m still the Storyteller in Residence for the Dallas Museum of Art, where I also teach several workshops & camps for both adults and children, and act as a creative consultant for their Community Outreach Education Dept. In March, I‘ll be their Artist of the Month. During this time, I’ll develop projects that merge storytelling with multimedia to create performance art works that involve the interaction & cooperation of the public. I am SUPER excited about this opportunity!

May the New Year bring you & yours many blessings and joy. ~ Jeff , Ann & Lily

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Sculpture Mania!

2009-09-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

My camp "Sculpture Mania!" at the Dallas Museum of Art in August was a BLAST to facilitate! I had wonderful kids, a perfect environment and accomplished my main goals. Here are a few of the kids in front of the plaster hands they had painted. What made these plaster hands unique is that they were created by pouring plaster into rubber gloves, sealing them and having them firm up. Kids were able to see how liquid plaster can take the form of a mold (rubber gloves) and become a solid shape. The kids were able to feel the plaster harden through the plastic gloves without all the mess too.

My favorite project was creating a three-dimensional work of art inspired by Jackson Pollock's two-dimensional painting titled, Cathedral. Here we are creating squiggly lines with art wire and "floating" them on thin fishing line woven within an open-sided box.

What made this project so much more meaningful and educational was having the real deal, Jackson's Cathedral right there with us in the gallery for inspiration!

The more lines that were added the better it got. The piece now sits in my dining room. I have some ideas on how to recreate a similar yet more stable, reuseable frame that can have light added as an option for added effect.

More Photos of Sculpture Mania!

2009-09-11T11:36:00.001-07:00

This photo is from the first day. We discussed classical sculptures like the marble Roman woman in the backbround and compared it to this plaster Henry Moore piece, "Reclining Mother and Child". It's surface LOOKED like marble, but it wasn't and the mother & her baby's features were much less defined & obvious.

I try to fill every moment with opportunities for learning. Here we are riding one of the museum's huge elevators while also discussing a creative project.

Moving 4-5 year old children through a large museum without mishap can sometimes be a challenge, but with this particulr class it was always a breeze. They were a truly wonderful group of kids, real sweethearts!

Look at us we are living sculptures!

Discovering tinfoil's sculpture making qualities.

I ALWAYS feel so alive and in harmony with the universe when I am exploring the creative worlds of visual art, storytelling and performance art with children AND adults. It is my definition of bliss.

Recent Explorations in Art

2009-08-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

I used an old album, newspaper print and phonebook pages with this work I call "Static". It's ugly, but by golly, it's unique! It was inspired by Mark Grotjahn's works like his Big, Big, Big, Big Nose on view at the Dallas Museum of Art's, Private Universes Exhibit.

This is "Transformation...It's Time". The flowers were painted on canvas, cut out and put on this canvas. I have a real clock piece inserted on the hands. This piece is all about allowing oneself to be transformed through the use of one's inner creativity and then bringing that transformation out into the world. My inspiration was from my own creative need to continue to grow and explore my life through the art I make.

Hidden in the depths of this painting are $500.00 bills of play money. If you look closely you can see the money peeking through. I have happy face stickers popping out over them. Traced with a fine pen and requiring the viewer to come in close to read are the words, "Then I'll Be Happy". This work is inspired by Richard Price's Check Painting on view now at the Dallas Museum of Art.

Tell Me A Story is inspired by Christopher Wool and his works where he breaks up words sporadically on huge canvases. I have this one hanging by my desk now. It was fun to make.

I had trouble photographing some of my work. I keep getting a glare. This image is not flattering to the real piece. I collected old bottle caps for the leaves, used copper strips to create the trunk and have old book pages for the background. The frame I picked up at a yard sale for $5!!! It is over one hundred years old and in gorgeous condition. I named this work Discarded Life for it's made from things once valued, if even for a few moments, in a person's life. I love using bottle caps and have several more ideas for their use in future artwork. Now, all I need is time to MAKE it. >sigh<

Rag Bags by Me!

2009-08-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

I saw a picture of a bag in a catalogue for $298.00! The bag was "unique" and I thought it was a creative use of material. I said, "I can make one for a lot less." So I promptly made three using 'like new' purses and left over fabric scraps. Here is the first one.

Up close view.

The second one. It looks kind of sad hanging there on the fence.

This one is my favorite!

I was thinking of naming these purses, "Raggedy Purses by Raggedy Ann!" Hah, but I don't want to think of myself as being raggedy...so...I'm still brainstorming... At any rate, I have been using the top purse for two days while running errands and have had lots of feedback. I do believe these bags are marketable and so I may make a few for sale.

My Chicken Chairs

2009-08-03T16:10:00.000-07:00

A short time ago, I came upon a yard sale where a guy was selling four chairs. He was selling them for a total of $20.00. They were very study, but the seats had a bit of wear to them. No problem! I happily handed over a twenty dollar bill and brought the four chairs home.

Here is a before picture of one of the chairs. They were all identical. Using recycled wool sweaters that I first felted, I created 'chicken' chairs. This is HENrietta.

This is megHEN.

This is StepHENie.

And this is gretcHEN. She's my favorite. Shhhh...don't tell the others.

Lily turned 19 on July 23!

2009-07-27T17:43:00.000-07:00

There's my baby and her boyfriend Andrew. The pesky bunny ears there above her head are Jeff's, he's up to his usual mischief. It doesn't look like he will EVER get tired of doing that. >sigh< See last photo in this post where he is at it again. Oh, and please ignore the messy desk & office behind Lily, I was in the middle of re-organizing everything. It looks way better now, I swear.

Lily is enjoying wielding that knife far too much! She had a Baskin Robbins chocolate and mint chocolate chip icecream cake. It was yummy!

See?

It was plate-licking good! Hah! Lily loves to wear goofy hats. She has a large collection of them. She wore her penquin hat for this special day.

This picture was taken a week before her birthday when we attended the outdoor concert for Justin Caldwell's new CD release. SEE? What did I tell you, there is Jeff with the bunny ears again. I've been married to him for nearly 25 years now, and he has never gotten tired of doing this. I guess it has become a tradition of sorts now.

SMILE.

Lily and Leonidas

2009-07-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Lily with Leonidas, her cat that she named after the great Spartan king and warrior. We took this photo two days ago.

Lily then went to clean Ophelia's cage. Ophelia is our dwarf rabbit. Lily put the top portion on the floor with the door open. I guess Leonidas was feeling curious, perhaps wondering what it was like to live in a cage, so he crawled in and spent a good long while hanging out in it.

Sniffing at the bars...mmmm...smells like bunny!

Wow! Look at how the ceiling looks with lines running along it. KEWL! So this is what it's like for that pesky little fur ball and attention stealer. Hhhmmm, most interesting.

My DMA summer camp classes. Two down and one to go!

2009-07-14T15:28:00.000-07:00

This is picture was taken during the grand finale performance of "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words" summer camp at the Dallas Museum of Art. We are telling a Japanese Kamishibai story called, "The Two Tengu's". We had a wildly busy, active week together sharing stories inspired by artwork in the galleries and the students studio art. One of the main activities was learning about Japanese paper theater called Kamishibai. Between 1920 & 1953, bicycling Japanese storytellers would sell candy and tell stories using picture cards as illustrations. With the advent of TV, Kamishibai lost popularity. The people who worked in this artform then created manga art and then anime.

Good grief what made me decide to wear Pepto-bismal pink pants! After I saw these photos, I got rid of them. Now where was I...

Oh yes, the next two photos are from my ArtCycle! Summer Camp. Students created art using non-traditional and recycled materials. This was a FUN class to teach, especially because this is how I create art at home. Also, the museum has a current exhibit called Private Universes that supplied lots of ideas and inspiration for the class projects. I created several art pieces myself for the camp that illustrated how the exhibited art had inspired me.

Here is a picture of the students as they each take a turn to talk about a favorite piece of artwork they created during their week at camp.

I feel VERY fortunate to have the opportunity to teach summer camp classes at the Dallas Museum of Art. It is awesome to have art from all over the world, created by master artists no less, right there on site for the students to observe and learn about. I found in my ArtCycle camp that nearly all the kids were fans of contemporary artists like Jackson Pollack for instance. How cool is that? These youngsters were aged 9 to 12 and already had a great deal of knowledge about many, many master artists. They were eager and excited to be there everyday and took on the task of creating unique works of art with relish!

It was an honor & a blessing to get to work with the students of both camps. That dear readers is the honest to God TRUTH!

Playing with lighting and photography at the DMA

2009-07-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

These photos were taken during a special event at the Dallas Museum of Art. The summer 2009 theme is "Summer Spotlight: Experience the Romance, Drama, Action and Mystery of our Collections". They had a cinamatographer in to do lighting for photos. Here are a few of mine.

It was fun to do these.

Went to a great concert!

2009-07-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, I'm back. Work and life got super intense for several weeks again. It sure has been a struggle to balance both these days. I never, ever feel like I get everything DONE that needs to be done on any given day. Frustrating.

That doesn't mean that I don't have time for fun now & then. Take last night for instance. Jeff, Lily, her boyfriend Andrew and I went to my friend's son, Justin Caldwell's CD release party. He's a gifted, multi-talented musician. Here is more about Justin: http://justincaldwell.com/ I have both of his CD's and they are GOOD! No, they are more than good, they're excellent. He has also been enjoying a good bit of success lately. This is from his website: In addition to his prolific onstage presence, Caldwell engineers and produces his own recordings; a skill developed from years of writing music for film and TV. Most recently, his original music has been featured in national ad campaigns for Nike, Visa, Honda, Tylenol, in the primetime network pilot Dear God, It's Me Traci, and the Australian film Out of Space.

I took a few pictures, but they were blurry. Sheesh. Justin's mom is my friend Gwen. She is a professional storyteller and 1/4 of Once Upon A Times Four, and so am I. The other two members are Genie Hammel and Jiaan Powers. We are four professional storytellers who began meeting once a month for support, coaching and guidance, but it blossomed into much more than that. We have become great friends who now also lead workshops together for librarians and others storytellers who want to enhance their own storytelling skills.

In May we went on a retreat together to Pagosa Springs, CO. Here are a few photos.

Left to right are me, Genie and Jiaan outside a gallery in Sante Fe, NM. We stopped there to stretch our legs and view lovely art during our drive up to Colorado.

Gwen (mom to Justin), Genie and Jiaan who are happy, happy, happy!

Here we are at the house we stayed at in Pagosa Springs. We had been traveling all day and were exhausted, but happy and ready to enjoy a meal together.

I had such a wonderful trip with my friends and feel so blessed to have them in my life. I have the complete photo album of the trip on my Facebook page if you are curious to see more photos.

Oh my gosh, I'm so far behind!

2009-05-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

Life has been happening at a record pace these days. A great deal of May was spent working on lesson plans for the three summer camps I'll be teaching at the Dallas Museum of Art. I have also had a festival and a trip to Colorado thrown into the mix.

Here is Lily at the Scarborough Rennaisance Festival we all went to. She is some kind of mystical character. Notice the long sword on her back. Her boyfriend gave that to her.

My sister Ruth joined us. She looked so pretty and oh my, she has gorgeous hair!

Here I am with Lily's griffin on my shoulder. It was hot and I was sort of melting all day long.

Jeff and I. He really loves his kilt - he looks good in it too. Jeff has a wee bit of real Scottish blood flowing though his veins. They wanted him to walk in the parade, but he didn't want to. Maybe next year. This was our fourth festival - we really love going and dressing up. I actually take notes of the shows we go to for my storytelling programs. I learn a lot watching other live performers.

My trip to Houston with Jeff

2009-05-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

Jeff had a bowling tournament in Houston a little over a week ago. I went with him and we had a wonderful, mini vacation together. On Saturday while he bowled during the day, I stayed in the hotel room and worked on my lesson plans for the summer camps I'll be teaching at the Dallas Museum of Art. Afterwards in the late afternoon, we went to the The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. IT IS AN AWESOME MUSEUM. It is also incredibly huge. We only had three hours there, but boy did we make the most of it. Here I am in front of a marvelous painting by Matisse. It is so exciting to see paintings by the masters.

Miro.

Pablo Picasso. Weird guy.

What is she looking at I wonder.

The lady has a protruding bottom lip. She must not be wearing her dentures.

What a decadent, lulling figure this yellow man is. It would be fun to create a story with a character based on this image.

We couldn't use flash in the museum, so these images have an odd, beige color to them. We would have taken more, but we were in too much of a hurry trying to see as much of it as possible before they closed. Someday, we need to go back and see all of it!

George Jetson Goes to Houston

2009-05-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

Remember the "The Jetson's"? I loved that cartoon. Our hotel was in an upscale community in Houston. We were located by super fancy stores, the Galleria Mall, Furriers, we saw lots of limo's driving folks around.

I noticed that the streetlights and signs seemed to float over the intersections - COOL! This was taken during the day - it is way cooler at night.

Best dang restaurant ever - The New York Delicatessen. They bring a dish with three different kinds of pickles to much on while you look over the menu. The food was VERY New York, very traditionally Jewish and soooooooo good!!! We went there for dinner. Liked it so much we went back for breakfast the next day.

While we were eating breakfast, a super long Humvee Limo drove up. Who was in it? A few lovely Arab women dressed in Western, designer clothes and their children. They all rode in the limo to the restaurant for breakfast.

Not all of Houston is lovely.

2009-05-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

While leaving Houston, we drove past miles & miles of this. Very ugly! I wonder what the cancer rate is in the population who live near this area.

Plano's Live Green Expo

2009-04-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

That's Ed Begley Jr. in the photo. This was my first festival last Saturday. It was rainy, muddy, yuck, yuck, yuck. Thus, everyone was packed in the building that had been set up with booths giving away all kinds of freebies and packed into the room above to listen to Ed talk about the virtues of living green. (He looked good - a healthy lifestyle is working well for him.)

Me, well I was outside all morning in the children's craft tent trying to help with two crafts I'd helped prepare, and also doing 1 1/2 hours total of storytelling on a stage while trying to stay dry under a little awning. The good news is that I had hardy, fun children who came to my storytelling programs and helped me tell them. We actually had a pretty good time. Considering that the outside crowd was so small since EVERYONE wanted to be inside staying dry and not caking mud all over their shoes. I ended up having a really good time and meeting a ton of cool, environmentally aware folks. A good start to the day.

Oh, I had five pieces of art in the Live Green art exhibit too and have enjoyed really good feedback on them! Yee-haw!

Fiesta!!!

2009-04-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

Festival number two on Saturday. The weather had cleared significantly, though the sky was super cloudy. That was alright it kept the temp down and we gladly watched a few musical numbers in cool comfort. This was my favorite act. Couldn't understand a word the singer was singing or speaking, but oh my, he was GOOD! He playing marionette here.

Another image. I have to tell you that this guy was as good as anything I have ever seen. EVER.

This was some kind of song about love between two people. Good singing, good dancing.

Two delightful little girls dancing away on stage in their full, colorful skirts.

I believe this couple was from Bolivia. Very neat. I tried food from Brazil that was so delicious, hung out with some friends, listened to some of the youth storytellers and told an interactive tale with three kids who were awesome as a whiny gecko! Fun, but I was super tired from the morning spent at the Plano Live Green Expo.

OakCliff Earth Day

2009-04-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

This was festival number three for me last weekend. It was Sunday, and a far better day weather-wise. I have no photos of me on the stage doing my show. Let me say that it was quite gusty, but I got through it well enough. The Dallas Guild members (I'm a member too) had a nice location in a far calmer area. They enjoyed a day of sharing earth friendly stories and good friendship.

This is Lucinda Wise, she is a storyteller and a warm, friendly human being. She is also extremely smart...I wonder what her I.Q. is...

This is Lucinda without the shades, so you can see her twinkly eyes!

Here are storytellers Gene & Peggy Helmick-Richardson. He has a PHD in bugs. BUGS I tell you! Peggy has a degree in biology...they are great EarthDay storytellers!

Once upon a time a tree fell on a house...

2009-04-23T15:22:00.000-07:00

and put four holes into it. The tree punched three holes into the roof, and one of those holes went right into the room below it. The tree also punched one hole right through the wall of the very same room. It was a young girl's room painted the color of newly green, summer grass. The girl, her name was Lily, could look out the holes and see the blue, Texas sky and feel a breeze upon her cheek. No one was hurt, except the house of course. For that reason, the family that lived in the house felt lucky indeed and counted their blessings.

Here is a picture of one of the tree pieces that came through the roof. Note the pink insulation and the white dust from the sheetrock.

It sure can get windy right quick in Texas!

Interesting things are happening behind the scenes...

2009-04-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

Seriously, career-wise things are VERY interesting. In the coming weeks stay tuned to this blog. I will be making some announcements soon.

Here is one announcement for today.

I sold some of my art. Wahoo! I also have some folks who are interested in purchasing the future art that I produce. Being different is finally paying off for me. The artwork that I've sold in the past was "unique" too, but I wasn't aware of the value of my unique perspective in today's art world. Now, it's sinking in.

In the next few days, I'll be finalizing my lesson plans for the three, week-long summer camps I'll be teaching for the Dallas Museum of Art. They are going to be really different & creative experiences for the students. I am soooo crazy excited! Really! The kids are going to be in for a fun, educational, and imaginative experience. My dream is to give them a happy, positive, creative experience that the students and their families will remember fondly for years to come. The art the kids produce will be exceptional. I know for a fact that it will be.

I ain't braggin', just statin' the facts folks. Dang, being enthusiastically weird is working out for me.

Spring Festival in Plano

2009-04-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

Here are a few members of the North 40 Storytellers Guild telling tales Saturday, April 4 at the Plano Heritage Farmstead for their Spring Festival Day. We had good weather, but small crowds. Still it was fun.

My sister Ruth came to see me for my birthday!

2009-04-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

What a great 45th birthday I had! Yes, I'm that old and I'm proud! My sister Ruth came by for a very quick 1 1/2 day visit. We had not seen each other for nearly 3 YEARS. Too Looonnnnggggg a time. She is in San Antonio for a 3 month job at a hospital there. Now that she's in Texas, I hope to see her some more before she's off again to another location.

Here is Lily and Ruth in front of a tree. Jeff is there too, can you guess where he is?

Lily is all dressed up to go to the Meyerson Concert Hall in Dalls with her boyfriend for a classical music concert.

Ruth and I on the hammock she sent us from Peru several years ago. We really love that hammock - it's quite comfortable.

We had a good visit, even though the time was short.

My Walk With Ruth

2009-04-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

Look what Ruth and I came upon during our walk -

Awwww... It's a wee, wittle, itty-bitty, green snake. He's a cutie!

I love hanging out with my sister.

What Happened!?!

2009-04-10T20:34:00.001-07:00

I can't figure out why the text did what it did in the last post. It did not appear that way in the preview before posting. Arrrgghhhhh....I get so aggravated. I will leave it as it is though.

Drats.

Tejas Storytelling Festival 2008

2009-04-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

The Festival was wonderful this year. As usual, I ran hard the whole time trying to do as much as possible. I hate to miss out on a good time! Here is a photo of Genie Hammell and I enjoying a yummy lunch at a Greek restaurant. It was one of those modest places that have the best food. It was my favorite place to eat during the festival.

This is Sumi. She was just days away from her 6th birthday. Her parents are from South India and wonderful, friendly people. I helped coach Sumi on her tale. She wore a traditional Indian outfit and was was beautiful up there on the stage. She did an amazing job on her story. Sumi is a particularly talented young lady, she will go far in life.

Here I am with fellow storytellers. We were all looking at photos from festivals past on Mel Davenport's computer. One of the best things about festival is hanging out with fellow storytellers. We are a fun bunch of folks! If I may say so myself;-)

This is from the final concert on Sunday. I had spent 4 days up in Denton hanging with storytellers, going to workshops, facilitating my own workshop A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words...more or less, staying at my good friend Betsy's house, and just having a BLAST of a good time. I was tired, tired, tired when I got back home, but it was worth it.

Lapse in Blogging

2009-04-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry for such a long break in blogging. I have lots to say and pictures to post, but my stress load has been and is still massive.

I recently returned from the Texas Storytelling Festival where I presented a new workshop, attended workshops, supported a few tellers whom I've been coaching, went to lots of concerts, told stories at two preschools and often literally ran from one location to another non-stop. If I had not stayed at my good friend Betsy's cozy house in Denton I couldn't have kept up the pace. That is for sure!

Now I have several programs and three week-long summer camps to finish planning. As they say up north in Minnesota, "UFFDAH!"

See Tree How You Have Been Replaced

2009-03-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

Aaarrrgghhhhh....I've had the worst time learning how to enter my art work into a show. I've had to take clear, non-shiny photos with the correct pixels, attach the correct documents with each item with very specific document titles. I do not naturally think in the linear mode necessary for these kinds of skills. So frustrating. Lily helped me, but she only has so much patience for her super right-brained mom.

I really, REALLY need a secretary, assistant...someone who can do these kinds of tasks for me. This would enable me to focus much more clearly on creating new art works and stories. It would make life so much easier.

Oh, by the way, here is my latest piece. It was created for a recycled art exhibit. I found all the bottle caps in a couple of parking lots here in Plano.

I wrote a nutty little poem and put it in at the bottom. Not too sure I am entirely happy with the picture. I do know that I've learned a lot about how to make a better one in the future. This was a good example of how to learn through the mistakes that were made.

Something New

2009-03-04T16:11:00.000-08:00

Since the weather is warming up, I thought it might be time to make something other then neck scarves with recycled wool. Here is a fabric purse (front & back) I covered with recycled wool from sweaters. It will be donated to the Tejas Storytelling Assocation for their silent auction at the end of March.

I also finished a picture of a tree that was created using a rusty piece of metal cable and squashed bottle caps found in a parking lot in downtown Plano. It's titled Many Liberties Were Taken. I leave you dear reader to figure out what I mean by that.

Hint: It can mean whatever you want it too.

Collin College Cabaret

2009-03-02T18:39:00.000-08:00

Jeff, Lily and I went to the Collin College Cabaret Fundraiser as the guests of Dr. David Hammell, his wife Genie (a gifted storyteller and friend of mine) and Genie's mother Belle. We had a wonderful evening.

Lily In Her New Wig

2009-03-02T18:29:00.000-08:00

Gayle, Lily and I all bought wigs last week. They were very inexpensive and look pretty darn real on us. Well, we think so anyway.

Here is Lily in hers. She bought it for a costume she'll wear to an event next month. These photos don't do justice to how cute she looks in it. She was in a hurry to get to school. (Yes, she went to her college classes with it on.) I had to hurriedly snap the pictures. This last one shows that she was letting me know that my time was up.

Look what Lily gave me!

2009-03-02T18:17:00.000-08:00

Lily and I were out roaming an antique shop the other day. We love books, so eventually we found ourselves looking over some oldies but goodies. That's where I found these and started oohing and aahing. There on the shelf was a complete set of The Junior Classics: A Library for Boys and Girls volumes 1-10 published in 1918. The books are in beautiful condition. Lily saw how much I was drooling over them, and so a couple of days later went and purchased them for me as an early birthday & Mother's Day gift. I was shocked, SHOCKED I tell you. AND very appreciative. I told Lily that she was aiding and abetting a storyteller.

What a sweetie she is.

Spontaneous Outing

2009-02-24T19:47:00.000-08:00

Something I like to do from time to time is to get in a car and go exploring. Taking opportunities to see different scenery is very refreshing and invigorating for me. Last Sunday, Jeff and I had a few spare hours, so we got in the car and drove up to McKinney, Texas. It has an old, quaint downtown area with neat little shops. When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised to discover that they were having a festival for dogs!!! They had all kinds of events going on, plus a Marde Gras dog parade. Oh what joy! We walked around and admired all the pooches, enjoyed a hot dog together and got some fresh air.

We should have asked someone to take a photo of us together - oh well. Here we are separately.

I wanted to take some pictures of the dogs, and did take a few, but they didn't turn out. All I can say is there were great danes, yorkies, corgis, collies, mutts, all kinds of dogs and everyone was getting along just fine and dandy.

A Scarf for Lily

2009-02-17T16:02:00.000-08:00

I made Lily a Scarf. Well, actually I made a scarf and Lily wanted it. Here she is with it. And of couse, Leonidas had to have his photo taken too.

Lunch at Jyoti's House

2009-02-17T15:42:00.000-08:00

I recently had lunch at my friend & fellow storyteller, Jyoti Subramanian's house. She lives in Carrollton, Texas, but was born and raised in India. She invited me over to her home for an absolutely, delicious Indian meal. Look at the pot above. It is a pressure cooker and Jyoti showed me the tricky maneuver that is needed to seal it. I wish we had these kinds of pots here in the U.S. They are NEAT!

Inside the pot were delicious lentils - yum-yum. Jyoti sent me home with the leftovers and I ate every bite the next day.

Here a photo of the meal. We had fish in curry sauce, potatoes that were sooooo flavorful, lentils, white rice and bread.

Time to eat! I ate every bite and was full, full, full. Jyoti also made traditional Indian tea. She showed me how to do it and gave me some to take home so I could make my own. I did too. I drank two more cups when I got home and have been making it regularly. The tea is boiled on the stove with lots of milk and sugar. It has a comfy, very soothing quality. You just sip it and go aaaahhhhhhh... If you ever visit me, I will make you a cup.

Thank you Jyoti, for a lovely afternoon. I can't believe I didn't get a photo of her too. Dang.

New changes to this blog - finally!

2009-02-17T07:26:00.000-08:00

Changes have been made to this blog to better reflect my purpose for it.

I have retitled it, while still keeping the same link - Wahoo! Also, I added new elements to the sidebar and established "ArtCycle!" as a studio only. This simplifies things greatly.

In the future watch for my favorite blogs list. I visit several daily and will share them will you all.

Gradually, carefully, I am learning how to navigate this blogging business.

New Blog Name

2009-02-17T05:07:00.001-08:00

Guess what? I have discovered that I can change the title of this blog.

When I first began this blog it was a struggle for me to name it. I ended up choosing a title that has begun to feel very limiting for it only addresses my interest in storytelling and not the visual arts, which I am equally passionate about. To remedy this I started "ArtCycle!" to showcase my artsy-craftsy stuff made from recycled materials. It's a lot of work to manage two blogs. I'd rather combine the two.

So, now I'm going to rename this site. Go to ArtCycle.blogspot.com to learn the new name of this site. I will be changing it today.

Leonidas De Gatto

2009-02-16T21:48:00.000-08:00

Our new kitty. He found us and we are happy he did. What a most fine and handsome cat he is.

Tejas Storytelling Association Fundraiser

2009-02-12T21:02:00.000-08:00

A few photos of the Martha Len rundraising event in Denton, TX.

I brought one of my scarves for the silent auction, and by golly, it

sold for $45.00. Not bad!

DMA First Tuesday Programs

2009-02-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

Every month on the first Tuesday, the DMA has programs for pre-k children. In January the theme was "Birds" and I told stories on the third floor in the Asian Art section. Here I am doing a drawing tale. We toured the area where the Japanese vases were to see how may of them depicted birds. We counted 28. We may of missed a few, some of the birds were really tiny.

American Artist - Andrew Wyeth

2009-02-05T20:48:00.000-08:00

Lately I have been fascinated with the work of American artist, Andrew Wyeth. So much so, that I am currently reading two books about him. The picture above is titled, "Master Bedroom". I loved it when I first saw it over 10 years ago. Even purchased a copy of it and hug it over Jeff's and my bed. Why? Because our dog Hildie took her naps on our bed just like the dog in the painting. I also had an identical bedspread. It captured Hildie's yearning need to not be separated from us.

This painting reminds me of warm summer days at my Grandma Lillian's farmhouse in northern Minnesota. I would sleep in the "yellow" bedroom with the window open to let in the cool night air, and in the morning the cool breeze would flutter gently into the room lifting up the worn lace curtains. Oh, how I loved waking up that way. There was something sad about it though...perhaps it was the tired lace curtains, so long past their prime. They represented the past, not the present and that time moves relentlessly forward no matter how much we want to wish that some things (or people) never change.

There is something spooky, no make that eerie, about this painting. Notice the reflection of the candles in the window panes. The painting has a supernatural, dreamy quality that stirs my memories of nightmares not entirely forgotten. It captures for me the queasy, disquieting way that a bad dream can linger and dog one's memory during times of wakefulness. Something powerful, just out of eyesight has moved through that room...what could it have been? It was nothing good I can safely say.

Latest scarves...

2009-02-03T15:35:00.000-08:00

Before leaving for Pete's Dueling Piano's Lily took some pictures of me with my latest scarf creations.

I am posing in front of my bookcases. I have a full wall of them filled with books about storytelling, folktales & visual art, and then there are storytelling props and intruments used for sound effects. I have over 36 puppets too. It is big fun to buy books and toys for work.

Pete's Dueling Piano's

2009-02-03T15:29:00.000-08:00

Jeff and I had a riot of a good time last Saturday night. We went to Pete's Dueling Piano's in Addison with a large group of friends. We sang songs, danced by our chairs and laughed at the antics of the talented pianists. We had great seats right by the stage. Music was from the 50's on up to the present. Something for every age group in the room.

Twas good times for us all.

ArtCycle!

2009-01-25T16:56:00.000-08:00

I am ready to share ArtCycle! It's my new blog that I've dedicated exclusively to visual art made from recycled materials. Hopefully this will help me follow-up on many of the ideas I have and create new work on a regular basis.

Look to the left of this message and you will see the link you can use to hope over there and take a look-see. I hope to update if frequently with new items.

Enjoy.

More scarves

2009-01-24T16:53:00.000-08:00

This is the first scarf I made.

All my scarves feature pockets and are made from recycled sweaters that have been felted.

This one has hidden pockets...

behind the petals. It's my favorite one so far.

String Resonance

2009-01-24T16:24:00.000-08:00

What is Ann Marie doing?

What is Lily doing?

Lily goes to Collin County College. Friday we visited their latest gallery exhibit. It's called "String Resonance" and consists of a long multi-string instrument that runs diagonally through the center of the room. You clean your hands, rub them with resin and walk down the room rubbing your fingers along the strings. Lily made this video of me experimenting with the strings. The sound on this tape is so-so. The sounds that we were making were much more interesting and varied.

New Blog...

2009-01-22T20:59:00.000-08:00

So, I've begun a new blog. Yes, that's right. Like I need one more thing to keep up with in my life.

The thing is, this blog due to it title of course, is about storytelling and things related, like writing for instance.

But, I am one of those folks who have more than one passion in life. My other passion in visual art, or more accurately, the creation of visual art. My visual, artistic side is less concerned with behaving oneself. It's more free-spirited, more liberal, more spiritual in a middle eastern sort of way. Yes, that's right. MY inner artist is way more "out there" than I like to admit. So, I've created another blog where I can express that side of myself.

Currently my new interests happen to involve using previously loved, 100% wool sweaters. I will post images of my new creations soon on the new blog. I will keep you posted on when this will occur. If you would like the connection to the blog, let me know in the comments.

Oh yes, I still do tell stories and do programs. Today, I gave an improv workshop for teens at a nearby town's library. I had way cool teens and it was a BLAST!!!

Look what I made

2009-01-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

I made another "Phony Flower" using old phonebook pages. I need to make a few for Earth Day programs in April.

My new hobby is taking old, 100% wool sweaters, felting them, and creating new things. Here are two scarves. I just finished a third one tonight, but there is not a photo of it here.

This one is for my mom. I have it in an envolope and ready to mail tomorrow.

By the way, you ever look at a photo of yourself and ask, "who is that person?" That is what I do when I look at the picture above. I really want to grow this last haircut out! Ugh!!! This is a nightmare that began last October. I have had one adjustment, meaning I had a trim to help it grow out better in early Dec., so you can only imagine how short my hair had to have been.

Oh, the torture of a lousy haircut by a cruel, heartless beautician - evil woman!

It was just sitting there, waiting...

2009-01-02T17:27:00.000-08:00

Jeff, Lily and I went into a local Borders Book Store the weekend after Christmas. We were actually out together on a trip to the grocery store, but Borders is next door to it and since we are a bunch of maniacal bibliophiles the temptation was too much. I mean gosh, there were giant red Book Sale signs pasted all over the windows for heavens sake - what else could we do?

We walk in and Lily goes dashing off to the graphic novels section, Jeff wanders over to look in the boxes of $3.99 books and I wander around aimlessly trying to figure out what to look at first. (Sometimes I can get overwhelmed when faced with a lot of choices okay.) Eventually, after not having found anything that caught my eye, I walk over to the racks with cookbooks. I'm just killing time, I really don't care too much for cookbooks. Suddenly my eye spots a book on the shelf that does not belong. It's called "The Book of Lost Things". Odd name that. Kind of like the sound of it and the book certainly looks lost here amongst the cookbooks. Intrigued, I reach out and take it off the shelf. I open the front cover to read about it. My, it sounds good, but let me read the first few paragraphs as well, I think to myself. I have been fooled before by fancy words on a book's dust cover. I read the first two pages of the first chapter...oh my goodness. THERE IS NO WAY I AM LEAVING WITHOUT BUYING THIS BOOK!

And oh look - it's on sale for $5.99! Oh happy, happy day.

I finished the book last night. To read more about it, see the post below.

The Book Of Lost Things

2009-01-02T12:22:00.000-08:00

I began the new year by reading the thoroughly satisfying and magnificent novel, "The Book of Lost Things" by John Connolly. If ever there was a book written for storytellers, it is this one. John Connolly has brilliantly interwoven ageless myths and folktales into the tale of a boy who is teetering on the brink of adulthood. He suffers through the death of his mother, the arrival of a new stepmother, a new baby brother, a world war..and so he finds escape in books and the wisdom of the tales in them.

Here is one of my favorite excerpts from the first few pages of the book:

"Stories were different, though: they came alive in the telling. Without a human voice to read them aloud, or a pair of wide eyes following them by flashlight beneath a blanket, they had no real existence in our world. They were like seeds in the beak of a bird, waiting to fall to earth, or the notes of a song laid out on a sheet, yearning for an instrument to bring the music into being. They lay dormant, hoping for a chance to emerge. Once someone started to read them, they could begin to change. They could take root in the imagination, and transform the reader. Stories wanted to be read, David's mother would whisper. The needed it. It was the reason they forced themselves from their world into ours. They wanted us to give them life."

This is one of those books that begins grandly, poeticly - immediately enticing one to read on and on. The reader can only hope that the author can maintain that kind of momentum and come to an equally (or even grander) finale, and god bless author John Connolly, because he does!!!

I can think of few better ways to start the new year than by reading such a marvelous story.

Catch Up Time

2008-12-26T13:06:00.000-08:00

It's been a super cold December for the most part. Today though is oddly warm (upper 70's) and muggy, which makes it feel even warmer. Weird.

It's also been quite awhile since my last post. December is always a hectic month for me and this one was no exception. With my mother-in-law living with us now, I have even less free time for writing. We had a couple of looonnngggg appointments at the hospital this month - a series of tests - to see how her cancer is doing and to see what the radiation did for her. We have to wait until January 7 to hear the results. That's so far away and waiting is hard. Especially since she has not felt well at all these last few days. We think a medication is bothering her stomach. Today is really bad and I feel so sad for her. She is a trouper, but it is no fun to have a belly-ache.

Regarding my storytelling career:
I did do a few storytelling events in the first half of the month. A big one was for NorthPark Mall here in Dallas. The crowd was so huge that not everyone could stay to hear my stories. I had a really good time telling holiday/seasonal stories for the Plano Homestead too. It was a very cold night, but we were cozy in the ram barn. Yes, I said "ram barn". The critters were out in the pasture and the barn was cleaned out, hay laid down, lights strung, and bales put out for sitting. It was rustic. A victorian era St. Nick came in to warm up and listen to some stories, and Starbucks was giving out free drinks and pastries. Fun, fun evening! My local storytelling guild had their party and it was a brutally cold night, with the weather people advising folks to stay in. BUT, we had a wonderufl turnout anyway and when it was over we all had the task of driving home in ice covered vehicles on roads that were rapidly icing over. We storytellers don't like to miss a gathering!

Regarding my artistic creations:
I have discovered felting!!! It is so much fun. I bought several old 100% wool sweaters at the thrift store and shrunk them. Then I cut them up and sewed two funky neck scarfs that I patched together and embroidered on. Currently, I'm working on a tote bag. I also sewed a wine gift bag & added old jewelry and buttons into the design.

Jeff gave me a new camera and I'll take pictures of my new creations as soon I get a memory card for it. I have a new blog that is just for my art and when I find the time (hah-hah-hah, I crack myself up. >snort<) I'll get that ready for viewing.

Oh dear one last thing, my sister Ruth was supposed to fly in from Albany, New York for a few days and due to weather her flight was cancelled and she couldn't reschedule it and leave enough time for a decent visit. She didn't come >sniffle<>

So, that's it for now. It's back to work for me next week. I have to organize my papers for taxes - YUCK! I also have a story program early in January on birds for the DMA that needs touching up. We are going to look at a lot of Japanese ceramic art...etc. There a lots of birds in their designs. I want to create a mini shield too that will relate to an African piece made out of bird feathers. One thing is for certain folks - I am NEVER bored.